Elite-level athletes tend to believe they can overcome anything—it’s generally what helps set them apart and enables them to perform at their best in high-pressure situations. But, that mindset can also harmful to the process of properly recovering from injuries, Bullis School track and field coach Joe Lee said.
Working the injury-plagued Bulldog boys, who have taken a backseat to their female counterparts’ success this spring, back into race shape has been a balancing act. But, with the boys now virtually at full strength, the entire Bullis program enjoyed a successful trip to the prestigious Penn Relays, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Thursday through Saturday.
“Penn Relays is something we look forward to every year, it’s something we circle on our calendar every year,” Lee said. “I think it was a great meet for us on both sides; the boys are really coming into their own now because they’re finally getting healthy. They always had talent, but there have been a lot of health issues.”
Eric Allen Jr., Olandis Gary Jr., Bryce Watson and Austin Allen posted Maryland’s top time (41.46 seconds) en route to a fourth-place finish in the small schools final of the 400-meter relay. The performance set a new Montgomery County all-time mark. The foursome also won their heat in the 1,600-meter relay; their time of 3 minutes, 21.65 seconds ranks seventh in the state and third in the county.
The Bullis girls’ 1,600-meter relay—Mia Gyau, Masai Russell, Lauryn Harris and Sierra Leonard—qualified for the Championships of America as the top seed and finished fifth in the finals, third-best of the American teams. Their time of 3:46.31 is the Maryland’s best this season.
Alexis Postell, Harris, Gabby Johnson and Arianna Richards finished third in the small schools 400-meter relay.
Other top county finishers at Penn Relays include Walter Johnson sophomore Abigail Green, whose 9:59.99 in the 3,000-meter run was the state’s second best (17th place) and Richard Montgomery junior Rohan Asfaw (19th in 3,000-meter run).
Walter Johnson boys lacrosse battle tested
All high school lacrosse coaches have their “what to do in a close game” drills, Walter Johnson coach Alan Pohoryles said. Teams can run through all the possible scenarios as much as they want, he added, but until they find themselves in such situations, there’s no telling how they’ll actually react. And those responses are not necessarily coachable.
In the last two weeks, Walter Johnson has led and it’s fallen behind; it’s staved off comebacks and it’s staged them. Wednesday’s 11-10 victory over Quince Orchard was their fifth straight win. And, given the caliber of teams they played—Walt Whitman and Sherwood among them—Pohoryles admitted he didn’t expect Walter Johnson to emerge from that stretch unscathed. Three of the Wildcats’ last four wins have been by two goals or less.
“So far [we’ve] risen to the occasion [in the close games],” Phoryles said. “These are invaluable lessons going into playoffs. I think the guys are a little battle tested now. …I hope the guys realize when they play their best they can compete with almost any team in the county. Those [close] games are important to get through.”
Walter Johnson has been led offensively this spring by crafty Garrett Brennan (27 goals, 26 assists). He and Bradley Murray (17, 10 and in the photo above) have been productive for Walter Johnson but Pohoryles also commended the entire defense and the role defensive short-stick midfielder Avery Bernstein has played in making sure that backfield is organized and efficient.
Holton-Arms softball undefeated
Three teams stood between the Holton-Arms School softball team and an Independent School League “AA” Division banner last spring: Maret, Georgetown Visitation and Sidwell Friends. With Tuesday’s 15-8 victory over Visitation, the Panthers (6-0, 3-0 in ISL AA) have now knocked off two of them. Holton is scheduled to face Sidwell May 11.
The difference this year, Holton coach Richard Roberts said, is the team’s mental toughness.
“It’s mostly who makes the least mistakes, wins,” Roberts said. “Last year we gave up some big innings where it’s error upon error, upon error. Now we’re stopping the bleeding immediately. If we make a mistake, we forget about it.”
The Panthers are led by third-year starting pitcher and junior Lillian Baker. Behind her, Holton has outscored its opponents, 71-17. Roberts said Baker’s ability to stifle opposing lineups enables the already aggressive Panthers to take even more risks on the base paths to manufacture runs.
And, he added, Holton’s own batting order has started to produce more consistently. Baker, who bats third, also leads the team offensively; she’s nine for 15 at the plate. Leadoff Olivia Daneker has also done a nice job setting the tone for Holton’s lineup, Roberts said, and freshman Katie Smith has been strong in the cleanup spot.
Blair softball peaking at right time
The Montgomery Blair softball team’s 11-2 record is one of Montgomery County’s best this spring, but the Blazers are still in search of a marquee win. The Blazers will have a chance to notch one in the next seven days as they face three of the toughest opponents on their schedule to close out the regular season—Blake (12-2), Northwest (11-1) and Clarksburg (8-3).
Blair is 100 percent healthy for the first time all spring—freshman and University of Maryland recruit Courtney Wyche (ankle sprain) pitched the first three innings of her high school tenure in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Thomas S. Wootton—and seems to be peaking at just the right time, longtime coach Louie Hoelman said. The next week, he added, is just what the Blazers need to get primed for playoffs.
As Wyche settles in, Blair should have two of the county’s top pitchers at its disposal heading into the postseason. Senior and second-year starting hurler Karylena Cruz is 28-6 since 2015 and has been incredibly clutch, both in the pitching circle and at the plate, for the Blazers. She and Wyche present contrasting styles, with Cruz relying mostly on her changeup and placement and Wyche a true fastball pitcher.
Blair is playing better softball, overall, Hoelman said. The Blazers have been led at the plate by Cruz, senior third baseman/catcher and leadoff batter Mildred Devereaux and freshman lefty slap/drag bunter Cassia Williams-Rogers in the No. 2 slot.
Georgetown Prep tennis soars over rival Landon
In Georgetown Prep coach Keith MacKinnon’s 18 years with the Little Hoyas, they’ve lost to Interstate Athletic Conference power and crosstown rival Landon more than they’ve won, he said. So, even though the head-to-head has been more balanced in recent years, every single win over the Bears is special, no matter the teams’ respective records.
Prep put itself in prime position for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming IAC tournament, scheduled to begin May 10, with a sound 6-1 victory over Landon on Tuesday—St. Alban’s is likely to take the top spot.
Prep’s Nos. 2 through 4 singles, Colin Corsini, Frank Watson (pictured) and Ryan Ziemski, respectively, all picked up wins against Landon. The Little Hoyas also swept the doubles. Kyle Bonner and Tommy Shriver won at No. 1 doubles; John Ziemski and Bernie Reyes-Varela and David Malinak and Michael Wang picked up victories at second and third doubles, respectively.
“We’ve had a lot of good matches [with Landon] in recent years,” MacKinnon said. “This match was closer than it seemed. I was relieved that the couple ones that could’ve gone the other way, we ended up winning. …Our depth continues to be our strength.”
The IAC tournament is played in a dual-match format; MacKinnon said the Little Hoyas have their sights set on a projected championship rematch against St. Alban’s. Though Prep lost the teams’ regular-season meeting, 5-2, the Little Hoyas were leading in the third set of two matches that were ultimately lost.
Blair baseball’s success: Learning to do the little things
Most high school baseball players starting on varsity for the first time want to prove themselves; they want to crush the ball and pick up base hits. But sometimes that’s not what’s best for the team. The young Montgomery Blair baseball team has begun to embrace that concept and it’s paid off with consecutive wins—over Richard Montgomery and Thomas S. Wootton—after two close losses to top county teams—Whitman and Walter Johnson—by a combined three runs.
“We have so many new guys in the lineup, they’re starting to do the little things it takes to be successful,” Blazers coach Eric Zolkiewicz said. “They’re finally understanding it’s more than just hitting the ball. It’s having quality at-bats. It’s working the pitcher; it’s doing your job and moving the runner. If we call for a bunt, it’s being able to get it down. It’s being a good teammate and doing the right things and not necessarily getting a base hit.”
Blair has been propelled by reliable pitching throughout the season and now that the offense is coming around, Zolkiewicz said he is feeling good about the team’s prospects heading into the postseason. The Blazers have been led on the mound by Ian Donaldson (3-1 record, 1.80 earned-run average), Scott Gahart (1.80 ERA), Noah Buchholz out of the bullpen (2.00 ERA) and Bobby Pfefferle.
Games to watch
Boys lacrosse
Walter Johnson at Damascus, 7:15 p.m. Monday: Walter Johnson has won five straight, but Damascus has surfaced as the county’s second-best team.
Quince Orchard at Wootton, 5:15 p.m. Monday: Should be competitive contest between two evenly matched squads.
Girls lacrosse
Holton-Arms at Stone Ridge, 4:15 p.m. Thursday: Nothing like a game between crosstown and league rivals to charge up the emotions.
Churchill at Arundel, 5 p.m. Saturday: A great out-of-county test for Churchill heading into playoffs.
Baseball
Whitman at Gaithersburg, 5:15 p.m. Wednesday: Gaithersburg just dropped its first game so Whitman should feel extra confident about its chances against the defending state champion.
Bullis at Georgetown Prep, 4:30 p.m. Thursday: Bullis is the favorite on paper but IAC rival Prep should not be overlooked.
Softball
Blair at Northwest, 2:30 p.m. Saturday: Rematch of last year’s Class 4A West Region final won by Northwest, which scored three runs in the seventh inning.
